The Buzz at SXSW What rocked the tech world at the iconic festival

The Buzz at SXSW What rocked the tech world at the iconic festival

On March 8, I joined 27,000 other individuals in downtown Austin to celebrate the start of South By Southwest (SXSW), the interactive, film and music festival that rocks the Texas state capital each year.

If you’ve never been to SXSW, it is a sea of nerd-meets-hipster-meets-Austin-weirdness, bringing in 100,000 people annually. Cab drivers turn off their cell phones and run nonstop to keep up with demand. And it’s not cheap. Badges to the interactive segment, alone, cost $1,150 if you buy day-of, and the events—including the tech panels for us geeks—are jam-packed.

I was there “working” while covering the event for Spike TV. I got to interview Steve Carell, Jim Carey, Olivia Wilde and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, along with the the epic cast of Evil Dead, the remake of the 1981 classic that premiered at SXSW. (Insider info: Go see Evil Dead—I looked under my hotel bed for three days straight.)

Yes, celebrities littered the streets, and you couldn’t throw an ironic T-shirt without hitting a movie premiere. But there was only one photo-op line that wrapped around three city blocks: the one for Grumpy Cat, formerly named Tardar Sauce. This sad-faced viral sensation (whose owners asked me to mention that she is not on any antidepressants) has been making headlines since last year. The heavy-hearted cat sat down with me for an interview, and to talk about her upcoming Friskies commercial for Spike TV (click here for full interview).

But enough on forlorn felines, let’s talk tech. SXSW has become known for its technology buzz. In the past, Foursquare and Twitter made their marks here, and this year, the headliners did not disappoint.

The Highlights

Marvel announced Project Gamma. This is something you’ll want to keep your eye—and ear—on. The comic king will be putting a soundtrack to digital comics. The tunes change with your reading pace, so every viewer will have a slightly different experience depending on how quickly he or she swipes through the pages. (A release date hasn’t yet been announced, but if you want to buy an iPad in preparation, get your Apple Store savings here).

Leap Motion Controller. So long, mouse. Thanks to this tiny sensor, you can literally wave your hand in the air to control your computer (bringing us one step closer to Minority Report). Pinch, point, wave or grab, and the sensor, which sits in front of your keyboard, can see it, allowing you to interact in an entirely new way. Leap Motion claims the sensor is 200 times more sensitive than “existing motion control technology.” It is being touted for use with supported applications, and at SXSW was showcasing the ability to play Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope and even a virtual harp with your hands. Available for $79.99 preorder for May 13 shipping at Best Buy. (Save with Best Buy offers.)

Google’s Smart Shoes. On the heels of the Google Glass buzz, Google debuted its Smart Shoe. That’s right, the company tricked out a pair of Adidas kicks, implanting a speaker in the tongue of the shoe. The goal: motivation. The method: The shoe tracks your movements and screams at you when you’re being too sedentary (and then actually shares such messages on social media). Don’t get too excited. This is just the beginning when it comes to the possibilities of wearable tech, and there’s bound to be more useful inventions in the pipeline. On that note, we’ve come a long way since the Nike Pump. Remember when that was revolutionary?

Apps galore. No matter what panel, show or movie SXSWers were checking out, everyone was on his or her smartphone. Some companies had the foresight to take advantage of that, promoting via Twitter that they would come to you if you were running out of battery juice. That way, people could give in to their app dependency, using apps that searched for friends, apps that searched for cheaper gas, and, of course, using their favorite retail apps.

On that note, I got to check out the creators of one of my favorite retail apps and visit its Austin headquarters: your very own RetailMeNot.

RetailMeNot has the desktop Web version you’re familiar with, but its coupons app is one of my top five must-haves. With hundreds of thousands of coupons and tens of thousands of retailers, you can find a coupon for just about all your favorite stores (including one of my favorites, thinkgeek.com). It takes maybe 10 seconds to search for a coupon on my smartphone, and it brings together the available discounts, including in-store savings. Say, for example, you’re at Forever 21. Just do a search for the store on the app and show the coupons to the cashier. Instant savings. Why would you pay retail when there’s RetailMeNot?